Chapter 174

Maeve’s POV

I splashed some water on my face and took a deep breath as I stared myself over in the mirror. I was huge and I felt uncomfortable. I was only about 5 months pregnant, and I looked as if I was 9 months pregnant.

My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten yet and dinner was about to be served. I was a bit nervous about attending this dinner with the royal family, especially after my strange interaction with Henry a few minutes ago. The way he looked at me made me uneasy; I wondered if it was because he blamed me for what was happening with Isabelle.

Her being locked in the dungeon had nothing to do with me and everything to do with her. I was the victim at her and her father’s games. None of that was my fault… Henry had to have known that.

There was a light knock on the door, and I quickly grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, only to see Xaden standing before me, his eyes dark and stormy as he glanced around the bathroom like a wild animal on the hunt. I stepped closer to him, trying to calm him by putting my hand on his chest.

“Why are you taking so long?” He asked, still searching the bathroom like he expected someone to be here with me. “Are you hurt?”

“No, of course not,” I assured him. “I was just taking a minute. I’m completely fine. I’m ready to go back to the dining hall.”

His eyes found mine and I could see him relaxing before my eyes. I smiled up at him, unable to contain myself.

“You were worried about me?” I asked him, my grin spreading even wider across my face.

He narrowed his eyes at me and then wrapped me in his arms. I buried my face in his chest and inhaled deeply, loving his scent and how it wrapped around me like a warm blanket. He inhaled me too as he kissed the top of my head softly with his lips and brushed his fingers delicately through my hair.

“I’m always worried about you,” he whispered. I peeked up at him and saw that his eyes were closed as he desperately tried to calm himself down.

I stood on my toes so I could reach him and then I brushed my lips across his. He sighed, melting into the kiss as he pushed me backward and further into the bathroom, shutting the door behind us with his foot.

Our kiss started off simple and sweet, but then it turned into a primal need of want and cravings. His hands roamed across my body as if it was the most precious thing to him. He cupped my belly, feeling our baby kicking and a smile tugged at his lips as he lifted my shirt over my head. He gazed down at my protruding belly, a love in his eyes that made my heart swell. He bent down and kissed my stomach gently; he whispered something to the baby that I couldn’t quite hear because his words were nothing more than a breathy whisper. Then he lifted his head and pressed his lips firmly and hungrily against mine. His tongue invaded my mouth, tasting everything I had to offer.

I couldn’t get enough of him and kissed him with just as much urgency. My heart pounded against my chest to a point where I thought it would explode from how full it was at that moment.

He ran his lips down the nape of my neck, sucking on my sweet spot and marking me in any way that he could without actually marking me.

I breathed out his name as I ran my fingers through his soft mass of hair, loving how it felt on my fingertips.

Xaden unhooked my bra, allowing my breasts to fall out and available for him to do as he pleased. His eyes were dark and stormy, making my heart skip a beat as his lips closed around one of my nipples. They were hyper-sensitive because of my pregnancy, and I gasped at the incredible sensation that it invoked in me. I felt his teeth grazing my nipple tugging it further into his mouth while teasing the other one with his fingers.

The pressure building between my legs was something I wasn’t expecting from just him teasing my nipples. I felt tingles coursing through my body and a warmth like never before invaded my face, making it feel as though it was on fire. He continued to squeeze my breast making me moan softly, though I tried to suppress them, not wanting to be too loud.

He smiled when he saw that I was struggling to keep myself quiet and even more so when he saw how he was affecting me.

“So sensitive,” he purred his voice sultry and making me weak in the knees.

He released my nipple with a pop before he pulled down my stretchy pants, leaving me in only my soaked panties. The second he saw them, his eyes turned almost black, and hunger was clear on his face. I shivered at the way he looked at me like he wanted to devour me.

He kissed the insides of my legs, licking at the juices as they dripped down my thighs. He lifted me onto the counter, so I was holding on for dear life as he started his exploration of my body. It was strange because despite how self-conscious I was about my weight gain and overall appearance; it melted away the second I was with Xaden.

He didn’t see any of my insecurities the way that I did; he saw his beautiful mate sprawled out on display for him in the bathroom of his family home. To him, I was beautiful and that was all that mattered to me.

He pulled my panties aside, exposing me to him. With a low growl that emerged from his throat, he buried his face between my legs and slid his tongue through my folds. I gasped when he reached my clit and he started to suck and tease it with his mouth and teeth. I was sensitive down there as well and I had to hold onto the counter with dear life as he rocked my world using only his mouth.

I let out a gasp as he stuck his fingers inside of me, drawing out even more of my juices as he stroked my G-spot. When he curled his fingers inside of me, I breathed out his name and wrapped my legs around his head, keeping him in place. His tongue twirled around my clit, sucking it vigorously until it was swollen and throbbing with a pent-up need.

Just as I was on the brink of an orgasm, he lifted his head and pressed his lips firmly against mine, letting me taste myself on his tongue as he continued to thrust his fingers inside of me. I kissed him back with just as much hunger and need as he kissed me. I wanted to taste everything, and I couldn’t seem to get enough of him.

He nipped at my bottom lip, unintentionally drawing some blood in the process but he licked it away, closing the small wound before it bled too much.

He ran his lips down my body again, nipping and kissing each corner he could before he returned to his position between my legs. He, once again, started to tease my clit with his mouth and teeth, making it swollen with even more need.

My legs trembled as my orgasm ripped through me without warning. I threw my head back and breathed out his name, trying desperately to remain quiet out of fear of being discovered. He didn’t stop the second I was pushed over the edge; he continued to lick and suck me until I was trembling with aftershocks of that incredible orgasm.

When he finished, he placed a gentle kiss on my clit before returning to my lips, kissing me deeply. He placed a final kiss on the corner of my mouth before he pulled back, both of us desperate to catch our breaths.

Caught up in the moment, we both nearly forgot where we were and what we were there for. He glanced at his watch and his eyes widened.

“We need to get to dinner,” he told me, grabbing my pants and shirt off the ground. I nodded as I slid off the counter. Xaden helped me dress and then we quickly cleaned the bathroom of any evidence of what had occurred here.

Once we were done, he took my hand and guided me back to the dining hall.

The food was being served just as we reached the dining hall, and I was relieved because I was starving. Noticing our arrival, Leonora smiled at us.

“Oh good. Are you feeling okay?” Leonora asked thoughtfully.

“Yes,” I told her. “Thank you.”

I noticed that Henry was seated near the King, and they were talking about something I couldn’t quite hear, but occasionally, Henry’s eyes would find mine, and a chill ran up my spine.

Mia and Lucas were also seated side by side and they seemed engrossed in their own conversation. I wondered if they were trying to make things work between them; I hoped so for the sake of the Kingdom.

I stared down at my plate as hungry as I was, the scent of the food, though it looked delicious, made my stomach turn for the worst.

“The chefs were thoughtful enough to bring your food out first,” Charlotte explained, noticing the look on my face and completely misreading it. “You don’t need to wait for us to eat. You have the King’s permission to start without us.”

I stared at the food, the scent making my stomach curl in on itself.

It was Xaden who noticed that something wasn’t right.

“Are you okay?” He whispered.

I couldn’t lie to him, but I also couldn’t speak. I shook my head and looked at him, my eyes wide.

As if he could read my thoughts, he nodded and quickly stood, taking me with him.

Without another word to anyone, I ran out of the room.

I needed to get to the bathroom ASAP.